Nepal Wildlife

Nepal is home to a wide variety of beautiful animals – many of which it shares with India. Visitors who spend some time near the edge of a forest or who go trekking through low-lying areas and valleys may be able to sight quite a few of these lovely creatures. If you do not enjoy trekking, you can usually organize a safari ride through one of the many national parks in Nepal which will usually afford you the opportunity to see a variety of wildlife.

Some of the wildlife in Nepal are somewhat restricted to certain areas and are on the endangered list due to indiscriminate poaching in times past. Nepal's wildlife should always be treated with the utmost respect, remembering that these creatures are not only valuable to the environment but wild and sometimes dangerous.

Some of the largest animal varieties occur in the Terai. Here you will find tigers, leopards, gaurs (wild ox), elephants, buffalo and a variety of deer. The deer commonly found here are chital, sambar and swamp deer. If you journey to south-central Nepal, you must spend time in the Lesser Rapti Valley. This is one of the last homes of the great Indian rhinoceros which is one of the countries endangered species.

Despite forest clearing which has taken place in the central zone, you will still find a few wild animals living here. These include leopards and a variety of small carnivores. This is also the home of a small kind of barking deer known as 'muntjacs'. If you head up even higher, you will find musk deer, tahr (beardless wild goat), goral (a relative of the rocky mountain goat) and wild sheep. If you are lucky, you may spot a wolf or a snow leopard. The Sherpa claim that the higher snowy regions are inhabited by the Yeti but don't expect to see him during your visit. The most easily spotted birds in the region are pheasant and the most plentiful fish is the mahseer, which can be used for food. Nepal's National Bird is the Himalayan Monal.

Clearly, Nepal is home to a stunning variety of creatures both big and small. You may find that you will not be able to view many of these creatures in their natural habitat anywhere else in the world and the experience of witnessing them in the wild can be truly memorable. Make an effort to see some of Nepal's wildlife when you're in the country – it's an opportunity that should not be missed!